Home AI refers to various levels of automation for appliances and electronics in homes, businesses, automobiles, and other environments. Many conventional systems provide low levels of automation, and are closed to a predefined list of commands. For example, a coffee maker can be programmed to brew coffee at a certain time, lights in the home can be turned on automatically due to low lighting conditions, and power to electronics can be “clapped” on or “clapped” off. Also, smoke detectors and thermostats can perform certain actions based on certain direct instructions.
With the addition of networking, home automation devices can send alerts through a network. For instance, a conventional security system or fire detection system can send alerts through a network because of an intrusion or fire emergency, respectively. Other types of automation operate according to voice commands when a button is pushed to activate the voice command mode, such as on smart phones and in automobiles.
Problematically, conventional home AI fails to provide higher levels of automation that allow a more natural interaction with humans because devices operate in isolation and for a singular purpose. Further, smartphone-based AI (e.g., Siri by Apple Computers of Cupertino, Calif.) and other hardware (e.g., the smoke detector and the thermostat) relies upon a user carrying around and intentionally interacting with the smartphone or a specific piece of hardware.
What therefore is needed is a technique that collaborates and analyzes distributed sensor input in a command-control AI environment to determine and react to a user location.